March 17-May 30, 2026
The upcoming exhibition “Binders of the Covenant” brings to life the story of Torah binders from the Memorial Scrolls Trust. The exhibit spotlights twenty-five historic binders that survived the Shoah and explores their significance for European Jewry, genealogy, and why they have relevance in today’s world.
In 1964, one thousand five hundred and sixty-four Torah scrolls arrived at the synagogue building in Knightsbridge, London. These sacred survivors of the Shoah had survived a journey from small towns and large cities in Bohemia and Moravia, the land near Prague, to a new life in the Jewish diaspora. The Torah scrolls are now part of the Memorial Scroll Trust. With the scrolls came also hundreds of Torah binders used to wrap the actual parchment under the ornate Torah cover. Many, typically hand-sewn by women, offer biographical inscriptions creating tangible connections with the families–men, women, and children–of the past. These Torah binders make up one of the largest collections of this sort in the world.
Ashkenazi parents in Central Europe between the 14th and 20th centuries cut cloths that were used to swaddle baby boys at circumcision into long strips and embroidered them with ornate and identifying symbols and words to commemorate this important event. These “wimpels” were then donated to synagogues. Usually, the donation was given when the boy began Torah study around three years of age but other reasons could include the celebration of survival of illness or other life events. This strip stayed at the synagogue and was used to bind the Torah on special occasions for that child, such as their bar mitzvah and the Shabbat before their wedding. As the years passed, the binders were made not only from linen or cotton, but also from a variety of other materials, such as silk, leather, and velvet. The text was no longer hand-embroidered but machine sewn or painted. Inscriptions moved from the traditional Hebrew to include German, Czech, and Yiddish. The binders contain symbolic decorations such as a laver and basin – to signify the sign of the Levites as twins fighting for Gemini – and intricate Chuppah and Torah scrolls. In addition to being a beautiful piece of fiber-art textile and a genealogical treasure trove, the binder collection at the Memorial Scrolls Trust is a tribute to the more personal interaction that the Czech Jews had with Judaism before WWII. The practice has dwindled in the last half century, as other commemorative practices emerged, such as donating engraved silver ritual judaica objects, named endowment funds, or prayer books with commemorative bookplates.
The exhibition “Binders of the Covenant” at Fordham University is the first time that these precious textiles will be shown in the United States. The exhibit opening and reception will be on Tuesday, March 17 at 4:30PM. Please register here. The exhibit is made possible by the Hadassah Ruth Weiner Fund for Jewish Art at Fordham, the Henry S. Miller Judaica Research Collection Endowment, and the Henry S. Miller Student Research in Jewish Studies Endowment, and the Memorial Scrolls Trust. The exhibit will be on view at the Walsh Family Library on the main floor and on the 4th floor in the Henry S. Miller Judaica Research Room from March 17th until May 30th, 2026.